1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to flowable pesticide formulations. More particularly, this invention relates to flowable pesticide formulations in which the pesticide or pesticides are liquid toxicants uniformly dispersed throughout a stable emulsified system for long periods of storage time or can be easily redispersed with mild agitation.
2. The Prior Art
There is a growing demand for pesticide formulations of the flowable type because of the changing methods of application. Some flowables are added via irrigation water, some in the newly developed liquid fertilizer suspension systems and some by conventional means of spraying. Flowable pesticide formulations are usually fluid mixtures of a pesticide or pesticides, suspending agent or agents, and water, with the toxicant concentration generally above 40%. The most important characteristics of a desirable flowable agricultural formulation include; a viscosity low enough to permit the formulation to be pumped, the formulation should disperse readily when it is diluted or added to water, the pesticide should remain suspended without any agitation except the fluid movement which occurs during field transportation, and the diluted formulation should remain suspended until it has been applied in the field.
The desirability of using a flowable pesticide formulation is to overcome many of the disadvantages of using the more conventionally known wettable powder formulations. For example, flowable pesticide formulations are more easily handled, as there is no dusting and little chance of error in mixing the ingredients. An additional disadvantage of a wettable powder formulation is that it is difficult to maintain the wettable powder in a suspension once it is formulated.
One prior art method of preparing flowable pesticide formulations is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,957,803 to Wood. The Wood formulations are directed to water-insoluble solid organic pesticides that are placed in a flowable suspension by emulsifying the toxicant with a non-oxygen containing fat or oil of animal, mineral or vegetable origin, an emulsifying agent, and sugar or sulfite waste liquor by simultaneously heating and agitating the suspension above 130.degree. F. and cooling to form crystals within the fat globules. Formulations such as those described in the aforementioned patent are limited by the pesticides which may be used and the suspending process for preparing the formulations.
It is, therefore, the general object of this invention to provide a flowable pesticide formulation which maintains suspendibilty over long periods of time or, alternatively, is easily redispersed with mild agitation. Another object of this invention is to provide a flowable pesticide formulation that has a low enough viscosity to be pumped and readily diluted.
Other objects, advantages and features of this invention will be evident from the foregoing detailed description.